Most Helpful Customer Reviews

Trixie Whitley performed at a club in my city a short while ago. Oh, my goodness. After many years of being a musician myself, in and out of clubs and studios in L.A., Portland, San Francisco, and all points in between, I've seen them come and seen them go. Here is an artist of uncommon depth, soul, commitment, and emotion.Yes, yes, she's the daughter of the marvelous, mysterious, lamentably lost too early Chris Whitley. If anyone has ever embraced and cultivated the gifts available in inheritance, it is this young woman. She is simply stupendous, melding the genres of Soul, R&B, Rock, and her own family legacy of deep expression and direct dancing with the muse.Inspiring, hair-raising, exuberant, uncompromising in her vision, she is a multi-instrumentalist with an extraordinary voice, and her talents have already merited her inclusion with the likes of Daniel Lanois, Brian Blade, and Daryl Jones....and this, four years ago, when she was only 21 years old.Don't delay. Buy this CD, and her earlier EPs. A short while from now, you will say to your friends, "I was hip to her before she was famous, and you could still see her in smaller venues."Check out her website, and watch the videos for "I'd Rather Go Blind," and "A Thousand Thieves" if you doubt my enthusiasm.Here is a singular, heartfelt, inspiring new talent that will repay your attention beyond any expectations.

Easily the best CD of 2013 and I'm writing this in March. Songwriting: stunning, passionate. And when have we heard a voice this beautiful since Jeff Buckley? Musically the album is impeccable: guitar, violin, piano create a unique blend of depth and gritty minimalism. Trixie is at the threshold of her career. May she have the strength to pursue her own path and not give in to the grim reaper that is today's Music Biz. The strongest songs here are "Silent Rebel, Pt. 2", "Hotel No Name", and "Fourth Corner" - but every track has its own haunting ambiance that remains with the listener for days. I hope Trixie Whitley's resolve to explore authentic, soulful music only grows stronger.

Trixie Whitley has created the album I'm been searching for ever since her fathers magnificent "Living with the Law". Soaring, textured, each song takes turns - lyrically and melodically - that are as unexpected as they are perfect.

In this age of personality driven formulaic reverb drenched dreck, this album stands as a picture of what art can be, and a promise of what's to come. Thanks Trixie, much appreciated.

It's really not fair to compare her to her dad, who was one of my all-time favorites. But it feels like she's settling for some easy outs on these songs -- letting choruses go on too many times, relying on those pipes to pump emotion into lyrics that don't really earn it. And I kept saying to myself, "Her dad would have surprised me here."

"Irene" sets the pattern; it's catchy and engaging but lasts at least a minute too long. I skipped through a lot of tunes that sounded good to start but just didn't develop well.

It closes well, though. The last three songs are lovely, dark and deep, and the opening guitar on the final cut will make you think Chris has returned from beyond.

Worth keeping an eye on this one, but this debut doesn't fulfill the potential yet.

Never had heard of Trixie, so after listening to the songs sample cuts, reading other's reviews and doing the samples again I decided to download. I have been pleasantly surprised by just what a different style she has pushed forward. It's a stretch for me to make any comparisons to others, because her music differs so much from others, but is truly captivating and is obviously liked by most others willing to write about it.

This is a really, really good album. Fight the urge to compare it to the Black Dub album - that is a different band. This is Trixie solo, and it should be judged on its own merits... and those are many. Amazing depth, funk, and soul. It's hard to write about a "vibe", but this album has got one - a big one - and its way cool.

Trixie Whitley represents the curiosity of art. While always tied to an amalgam of root traditions, every turn of a lyrical and/or sonic phrase is an opportunity for her to explore and embellish through the lens of modernity and personal experience. She is an aspiring artist and not an aspiring entertainer: Nothing about 'Fourth Corner' is boastful or market oriented though Tracks 2 & 4 are radio friendly and Track 8 is "outlaw" done right. Folks are attaching the word "passionate" to her. She is certainly that, but I pick up on "earnestness" more than "passion".

Ms. Whitley's intuition as a composer-songwriter is undeniable, though it does fall victim to her fastidious side. 'Fourth Corner' may come across as mechanically over-indulged. Abating the compulsion to be meddlesome with her art will be Ms. Whitley's greatest challenge as she moves forward. This is a common issue for those rare artists burdened with her magnitude of vision, potential AND serious mindedness: How to manage and edit "abundance".'Fourth Corner' reconciles her creative "tug of war" sufficiently that it should attract a wide audience. Taken as a whole, this LP does not let anyone down.

It is understandable that Ms. Whitley's very able and charismatic voice is affluent with the praise of her fans and critics alike. For me, however, her compositions on the piano always give me the most delight, and its brief interlude during 'Morelia' is blinding. She is a thoughtful and fluid pianist. Ultimately, however, I suspect that her insight for manipulating and developing rich and interactive layers of rhythm may prove to be her work's "signature" feature. Every element of her compositions both informs and draws its standing from rhythm.